Samsung Galaxy S23 Buyers Guide: Everything you need to know

On February 1, Samsung announced the next evolution in the Galaxy S series. That’s the Galaxy S23. This new lineup consists of the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+ and the Galaxy S23 Ultra. In this article, we are going to share everything you need to know about the Galaxy S23 lineup, and which model is the best option for you.

The Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ are both essentially the same phone, apart from their sizes. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is essentially a merger of the Galaxy S and Note smartphones. So it has a more boxy shape, and of course, the S Pen is built-in.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Specs

Here are the specs for the entire Galaxy S23 lineup.

	Galaxy S23	Galaxy S23+	Galaxy S23 Ultra
Display	6.1-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Adaptive 120Hz	6.6-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Adaptive 120Hz	6.8-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Adaptive 120Hz
Processor	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy
RAM	8GB	8GB	8GB/12GB
Storage	128GB/256GB	256GB/512GB	256GB/512GB/1TB
Battery Capacity	3900mAh	4700mAh	5000mAh
Charging Speeds	Wireless Powershare, Super Fast Charging, Fast Wireless Charging	Wireless Powershare, Super Fast Charging, Fast Wireless Charging	Wireless Powershare, Super Fast Charging, Fast Wireless Charging
Software	Android 13, OneUI 5.1	Android 13, OneUI 5.1	Android 13, OneUI 5.1
Rear Cameras	50MP wide 10MP telephoto 12MP ultrawide	50MP wide 10MP telephoto 12MP ultrawide	200MP wide 10MP telephoto1 10MP telephoto2 12MP ultrawide
Front Camera	12MP	12MP	12MP
Dimensions	2.79 x 5.76 x 0.3in	3 x 6.21 x 0.3in	3.07 x 6.43 x 0.35in
Weight	5.93oz	6.91oz	8.25oz
Price	$799	$999	$1199
Colors	Phantom Black Cream Green Lavender	Phantom Black Cream Green Lavender	Phantom Black Cream Green Lavender
Available	February 17	February 17	February 17

How much does the Galaxy S23 series cost?

The Samsung Galaxy S23 series is keeping the same price, in the US at least. So we’re not seeing any price increases here. That means that the following is the pricing for the Galaxy S23 series:

Galaxy S23: $799
Galaxy S23+: $999
Galaxy S23 Ultra: $1,199

To get the higher storage, it’ll be a $50 increase for the Galaxy S23 and S23+, and a $100 increase for the Galaxy S23 Ultra. So a 1TB Galaxy S23 Ultra will cost you $1,399. Quite pricey, but that is still cheaper than a 1TB iPhone 14 Pro Max (by quite a bit actually).

What trade-in offers are available at launch?

Carriers will be offering their own trade-in offers, which you can check out the latest deals for the Galaxy S23 by clicking here.

However, Samsung is going to offer up to $1,000 or the cost of the phone (if you get a Galaxy S23) for a trade-in. Now, depending on what you trade-in, you might get the full $1,000, or it might be less. Typically, the newer the phone, the more you’ll get on trade-in. Samsung.com does allow you to now trade-in multiple devices on a single order. Which makes this even easier.

What pre-order bonuses is Samsung offering?

Samsung typically offers some bonuses for pre-ordering their new phones. Well this year, they have brought back one of their more popular bonuses. And that is a free storage upgrade. Which means that if you pre-order a 128GB Galaxy S23, you’ll get upgraded to the 256GB model for the same price. The same goes for the 256GB models and the 512GB Galaxy S23 Ultra model. So you could actually get the 1TB Ultra for around $1,299. And of course, that is before any sort of discount from trade-ins.

Where can I buy the Galaxy S23 series?

Samsung will have the Galaxy S23 available at all of the usual retailers and carriers. These include:

Amazon
AT&T
Best Buy
Samsung.com
T-Mobile
Verizon

And many more. Keep in mind that Samsung’s pre-order bonuses are available everywhere. However, BOGO’s and trade-ins may differ by retailer and carrier.

What carriers support the Galaxy S23?

The Samsung Galaxy S23 will be supported by AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, along with any MVNO that runs on their networks. That includes Boost Mobile, Cricket, MetroPCS, Straight Talk and many others.

What colors is Samsung selling the Galaxy S23 in?

This year, Samsung is keeping it simple. Offering the Galaxy S23 models in all of the same, four colors. Those are:

Phantom Black
Cream
Green
Lavender

Now, Samsung will offer its own exclusive colors for these phones as well. Which those colors are listed below:

Lime
Graphite
Sky Blue
Red

What new features does the Galaxy S23 sport?

Samsung is bringing some new features to the Galaxy S23 this year. Which includes a new 200MP camera on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. As well as some new gaming features. And of course, the entire lineup has been better optimized for video and social media apps.

Worlds-first 200MP camera

On the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung has included a 200-megapixel main sensor for the camera. This is a world’s-first, but likely won’t be the only one with it this year. Thanks to this new high-resolution sensor, a new AI-powered image signal processor, and some other software tweaks, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is going to take some very detailed images. Virtual noise has been reduced as well. This 200MP sensor won’t really be taking 200MP pictures. Instead, it will be binned down to 12.5-megapixels. So basically every 16 megapixels is one, with this sensor.

Samsung has also doubled optical image stabilizer so that videos are even more stable on the Ultra. There’s also enhanced 8K video recording available, with 30fps. For an even wider angle. Along with advanced object-based AI.

The future of mobile gaming

The Galaxy S23 Ultra has some new enhancements for gaming, this year. For instance, it is now running on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, which allows the Ultra to last about 20% longer when gaming. While the graphics performance is about 40% better, and its AI performance is also optimized by than 40%.

This is all going to work to give you a better gaming experience on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Along with that impressive 6.8-inch QHD+ 120Hz display that’s on-board.

Better optimized for video and social media apps

One of the big things that people complain about on Android is how laggy some social media apps are. Like Snapchat, which makes it very obvious that you’re using an Android smartphone. That’s because Snapchat doesn’t use the camera API, instead it takes a screen recording of your camera. But with the Galaxy S23 series, that’s not an issue anymore.

For a few years now, Samsung has been touting that it is optimizing its phones for video and social media apps. Like Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and others. So you’ll experience a much better experience there.

What software updates has it received?

The Samsung Galaxy S23 series has received quite a few updates since releasing in February 2023. Here’s the full list:

Android 14/One UI 6/October 2023 security patch: October 30, 2023
September 2023 security patch: September 6, 2023
August 2023 security patch: August 16, 2023

What cases are available?

There’s plenty of cases available for the Galaxy S23 series, which we have a roundup for each model. You can check those out here:

Galaxy S23 cases
Galaxy S23 Plus cases
Galaxy S23 Ultra cases

But we are also listing a few popular cases here, one for each model.

Samsung Silicon Cover

Costing $30, the Silicon Cover is a good option for a lot of people, even though it is rather expensive. It’s a pretty simple case for most people. It’s just a Silicon cover for your Galaxy S23, but Samsung does offer it in a lot of colors, which is really nice to see.

Samsung Leather Cover

The Leather Cover is similar to the Silicon Cover, but more expensive and in leather. It’s a really good feeling case in the hand. And the big thing it has over the Silicon Cover here is that it is not a soft-touch material. So it won’t attract dirt and dust as much as the silicon model does.

Samsung Rugged Case

Now this is a new case this year. But it’s a rugged case, and it appears to only be available on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. It has a built-in kickstand, as well as reinforced edges and corners. So it can take a drop or two, without damaging your phone.

Which Galaxy S23 model should I buy?

More than ever before, Samsung is really trying to differentiate the three models. With the small Galaxy S23 only coming with 128GB of storage, and the others with 256GB at the base. Along with the Ultra getting a 1TB model, and of course the S Pen. Our recommendation would be the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Since it does have the S Pen, as well as a larger battery and an incredible display. It also has the best camera setup of any smartphone right now.